Great Nebraska

Naturalists and Scientists

Thedford

1903
May 27
Thedford to Brownlee
prairie horned lark		Wilson’s phalarope
wn meadowlark		Bartranian sandpiper
killdeer		blue-winged teal
Sennett’s nighthawk		burrowing owl
yellowlegs		curlew
dove		mallard
grasshopper sparrow		spoonbill
lark bunting		widgeon
barn swallow		Arkansas kingbird
kingbird		long-billed marsh wren
prairie chicken		red-winged blackbird
yellowthroat		kingfisher
cliff swallow		American bittern
wn field sparrow		goldfinch
wn vesper sparrow		sharp-tailed grouse
Baird’s sandpiper		—31 spp.

Saw also:		jackrabbit
	prairie dog
	pocket gopher
	13-striped spermophile
	coyote
	tracks of deer (white-tailed fairly common here)

Brownlee to Kennedy
Sennet’s nighthark		wn vesper sparrow
lark bunting		blue-winged teal
red-winged blackbird		curlew
wn meadowlark		cowbird
prairie horned lark		Harris’ sparrow
kingbird		sharp-tailed grouse
dove		bluebird
savanna sparrow		coot
Arkansas kingbird		killdeer
black tern		yellow-headed blackbird
grasshopper sparrow		mallard
barn swallow		wn lark s
Bartramian sandpiper		—25 spp.

We are informed that skunks are faily common here; that 3 bobcats were killed last
year; that a raccoon was taken two years ago.

May 27 — continued
Kennedy to Stilwell Ranch
mallard	red-winged blackbird
American bittern	Wilson’s phalarope
wn meadowlark	blue-winged teal
Arkansas kingbird	solitary sandpiper
horned grebe	prairie horned lark
dove	gadwall
wn lark sparrow	grasshopper sparrow
marsh hawk	sharp-tailed grouse
killdeer	prairie chicken
barn swallow	Sennett’s nighthark	—20 spp.
About Hackberry Lark, during few minutes before drak
jacksnipe	yellowthroat		pied-billed grebe	—3 spp.

May 27
Thedford to Brownlee		Kennedy to Stilwell Ranch
prairie horned lark		horned grebe
wn meadowlark		marsh hawk
killdeer		solitary sandpiper
Sennett’s nighthawk		gadwall
yellowlegs
dove		Hackberry, few minuted Before dark
grasshopper sparrow
lark bunting		jacksnipe
barn swallow		pied-billed grebe
kingbird
prairie chicken		May 28
yellowthroat
cliff swallow		Hackberry and Dewey Lakes
wn field sparrow
wn vesper sparrow		red-headed wood pecker
Baird’s sandpiper		white pelican
Wilson’s phalarope		Forster’s tern
Bartramian sandpiper		least bittern
blue-winged teal		red-breasted merganser
burrowing owl		redhead
curlew
mallard	May 29
spoonbill
widgeon		Dewey Lake
Arkansas kingbird
long-billed marsh wren		Franklin’s gull
red-winged blackbird
kingfisher		May 30
American bittern
goldfinch		Clear Lake
sharp-tailed grouse
	turkey vulture
Brownlee to Kennedy		black-crowned night heron
	pintail
savanna sparrow		spotted sandpiper
black tern		pectoral sandpiper
cowbird
Harris’ Sparrow		Trout lake & valley
bluebird
coot		Virginia rail
yellow-headed blackbird		swamp sparrow
western lark sparrow		ring-billed gull

Cherry county, Nebraska

May 28	To Dewey Lake and back to Stilwell Ranch on Hackberry
barn swallow	Morning clear. Rain at 2 p.m. Windy later.
wn meadowlark	Nests of black tern in water 18 to 24 inches
killdeer	deep, 50 feet to 50 yards from shore; noted
red-headed woodpecker	sets 1/3 and 1/2 and about 12 nests completed or
kingbird	building.
prairie horned lark	Photographed nests with eggs, of black tern
red-winged blackbird	and pied-billed grebe.
black tern	Young mallards.
white pelican (3)	A group of Wilson’s phalaropes
Forster’s tern	Nests observed
Am. bittern	Coot 1/2 1/3 2/5 2/9; one nest 5 deserted.
blue-winged teal	Black tern — cited above.
least bittern	Pied-billed grebe 1/8 1/7.
yellowthroat	Yellow-headed blackbird — number of eggs
yellow-headed blackbird	listed as observed: 3 2 1 2 2 4 3 2 4 3
Sennett’s nighthawk	2 4 3 2 4 4 0 0 0 2 2 2 4. Sets of 4 are
lark bunting	probably complete.
coot	Red-winged blackbird 3 2 and several building
Wilson’s phalarope	or just completed.
dove	Had privilege of watching a coot on her nest
gadwall	at close range.
pied-billed grebe	Many dead turtles alon gshore. Caught one
red-breasted merganser	live snapper with 12-inch shell; examined and
redhead	released it.
mallard	—25 spp.	Saw one musrat.

Innumerable flies and bees observed about flowers of Antennaria campestris.

Noted several of the light-colored blue racers peculiar to this area. Found a dead
bullsnake with many beetles working on it. I dug out a small lycosid spider carrying
a cocoon. The tunnel, straight down, was 8 inches deep, only 2 inches above water
level in the sand.

May 29

Rain last night, and steadily all day; cold north wind.

In the afternoon we went to Dewey Lake, and returning spent some time about the shore
of Hackberry lake; collected plankton with Birge net at various points, also flowers
and cacti.

Franklin’s gulls were seen at Dewey Lake.

Found n/5 of western meadowlark.

May 30

Clearing. Chill north wind, not strong, rest of the day. We enjoyed our first fairly
extended trip.

At Clear Lake

western meadowlark	Clear Lake. circular and small, is one of
black tern	the most alkaline of the lakes in this Cherry
killdeer	county group. This is remarkable since only
wn vesper sparrow	a mile to the west, lies Hackberry Lake, with
turkey vulture	fresher water than any other.
dove	Had my first, and therefore most impressive,
Forster’s tern	opportunity to sense the depth of investive
yellow-headed blackbird	expressed by Forster’s terns in welcoming
field sparrow	visiters; never a syllable except downright
barn sparrow	profanity. They are lovely and graceful birds —
red-winged blackbird	but, such language!
blue-winged teal	Found n/4 of the killdeer, deserted for some
pied-billed grebe	rason beyond knowledge. Dr. Wolcott too the
Sennett’s nighthawk	set, which proved to be unincubated.
black-crowned night heron	A nest of the western vesper sparrow with
prairie chicken	very young birds, on a vegetated sand slope
pintail	50 feet above the lake level.
spotted sandpiper	Barn swallows are beginning to build about
pectoral sandpiper	deserted shacks, which are too common in this
Am. bittern	—20 spp.	country cruel to agricultural effort; each is
		an emblem of human despair

Found and excavated another lycosid tunnel in sand near the shore of the lake; 8 inches
deep, which is near water level.

At Willow Lake

black tern	A nest of the pied-billed grebe, with 7 eggs
yellow-headed blackbird	nearly hatched
Sennett’s nighthark	Rare Forster’s terns again put on a show,
prairie horned lark	affording me several cuss-words not before
lark bunting	noted.
blue-winged teal
red-winged blackbird	Across to Trout Lake
Forster’s tern
coot	grasshopper sparrow	Nest of wn meadowlark;
killdeer	wn meadowlark	5 half-fledged young.
wn meadowlark	—2 spp.	Another lycosid tunnel.
barn swallow	200 feet above water,	9 inches deep.
pied-bill grebe	—12 spp.

May 30 – continued

In Trout Lake valley

grasshopper sparrow		Nests found;
Forster’s tern		Red-winged blackbird in sequence as
red-winged blackbird		found —4 2 4 0 3 1 4,
yellow-headed blackbird		yellow-headed blackbird — 4 4
blue-winged teal		Virginia rail —9 fresh, 7 incubated
wn meadowlark		gadwall — 9.
Sennett’s nighthawk		black tern — 1.
marsh hawk		Am. bittern — 4.
long-billed marsh wren		Forster’s tern and pied-billed grebe also
black tern		nesting, but not examined.
yellowthroat		A nest of the American bittern with 4 eggs
black tern		was just above water level, lined with fine
Virginia rail		grasses
Am. bittern		Nest of gaswall also was lined with grass.
swamp sparrow		The nests of Virginia rail were lined with
gadwall		coarser grasses.
pied-billed grebe		We flushed a flock of 13 prairie chickens
mallard		and were able to note carefully here, as at Clear
ring-billed gull		Lake earlier in the day, that the species is defi-
prairie chicken —20 spp.		nitely the prairie chicken; not the sharp-tailed
		grouse, which also occurs in this area.

On the way back to Stilwell’s Ranch on Hackberry Lake

Bartramian sandpiper	dove
kingbird		wn vesper n/5		—4 spp.

May 31

Clear; air cold; north wind.

Hackberry Lake in the morning, using a boat. No list of birds made. A visit to a nesting
colony of Forster’s terns near the north shore, afforded the following data, number
of eggs recorded in sequence as found: 2 1 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 pipped 3 1 3 on old house
of muskrat. Nests of rushes, placed 4 to 6 inches above water; cup [sic] 1 inch deep,
5 inches across. Black tern — 1 1; nests of similar construction and placement, shallower.
Yellowheaded blackbirds’ nests numerous.

Saw ruddy ducks on Hackberry.

Monahan’s Lake in afternoon; no bird list. Found completed nest of western lark sparrow.

1903

May 21		June 2 — continued
Hackberry Lake		At Frederick’s Peak
ruddy duck		rock wren
		western warbling vireo
June 1		Baltimore oriole
		bronzed greckle
Big Alkali Lake
	June 3
eared grebe
white-rumped sandpiper		At Valentine
rough-winged swallow
		black-and-white creeper
Simeon to Valentine
		Valentine to Stilwell Ranch
bobwhite
blue grosbeak		Say’s pheobe
long-tailed chat		indigo bunting
Bell’s vireo		red-tailed hawk
Schlegel’s Canyon		June 5
arctic towhee		At Marsh Lake
long-tailed chickadee
		marbled godwit
Along the Niobrara		green-winged teal
bluejay		June 8
orchard oriole
yellow warbler		At Dewey Lake
dickcissel
		bobolink
At Valentine
		At Little Alkali
house wren
desert horned lark		bluebill
western robin
~~bluebird~~(dupl)		June 8
catbird
kingfisher		Approaching Thedford
cuckoo sp.
black-headed grosbeak		Swainson’s hawk
red-eyed vireo		rough-legged hawk
chipping sparrow
brown thrasher

June 1

Rainy; cold. Started on long trip in light wagon, with Stilwell driving. Noted at
ranch, before starting:

wn vesper sparrow	And on the way across fields:
wn meadowlark	wn meadowlark	prairie horned lark
killdeer	wn vesper sparrow	cliff swallow
barn swallow —4 spp.	grasshopper sparrow	barn swallow —7 spp.
	Sennett’s nighthawk

We passed Monahan’s and Trout lakes without stopping.

At Big Alkali lake:

redhead	western meadowlark
blue-winged teal	coot
killdeer	pintail
prairie horned lark	black tern
eared grebe	spoonbill
white-rumped sandpiper	mallard
Wilson’s phalarope	Franklin’s gull
rough-winged swallow	yellow-headed blackbird
wn vesper sparrow	grasshopper sparrow
dove	Arkansas kingbird	—20 spp.

Killdeer nests building, and young birds about.

At Simeon:

Bartramian sandpiper		pintail		turkey vulture
Simeon to Valentine:
	bobwhite		western field sparrow
	lark bunting		long-tailed chat
	blue grosbeak		sharp-tailed grouse
	goldfinch		Bell’s vireo		—8 spp.

In Schegel’s Canyon:

arctic towhee

long-tailed chickadee

—2 spp.

On the Niobrara: (in the rain)

	bluejay		arctic towhee
	orchard oriole		long-tailed chat
	yellow warbler		yellowthroat
	vireo sp.?		rough-winged swallow
	dickcissel		—9 spp.

June 2

At Valentine. Cloudy and cold.

house wren		wn meadowlark	wn robin
desert horned lark		dove	bluebird
lark bunting		wn field sparrow	grasshopper sparrow
Arkansas kingbird		arctic towhee	yellow warbler
bluejay		cowbird	long-tailed chat
	(list continued)

June 2 — continued

At Valentine — bird list continued

yellowthroat	Bell’s vireo	chipping sparrow
kingbird	orchard oriole	brown thrasher
catbird	cuckoo sp.	red-winged blackbird
kingfisher	black-headed grosbeak	rough-winged sparrow
spotted sandpiper	red-eyed vireo	goldfinch
killdeer	bobwhite	wn lark sparrow	—33 spp.

A nest of eastern kingbird building. — A nest of brown thrasher with 4 eggs. — A nest
of black-headed grosbeak, 4 eggs, 30 feet up in elm over creek; nest made of dead
fines, weedstems and rootlets, much like that of rose-breasted grosbeak. — A nest
of yellow warbler.

At Frederick’s Peak:

rock wren	blue grosbeak	Sennett’s nighthawk
Bartramian sandpiper	Baltimore oriole	barn swallow
wn warbling vireo	bronzed grackle	—8 spp.	Found a nest of the morning dove, with 2 incubated eggs.

June 3

At Valentine:

western lark sparrow		long-tailed chickadee		wn field sparrow
yellow-shafted flicker		black-and-whtie creeper		—5 spp.

On the drive south:

desert horned lark; nest by road, lined with grasses; 3 eggs.
western lark sparrow; nest under rose bush, made of grasses, weedstems,
red-headed woodpecker	(lined with rootlets and horsehair
wn lark sparrow; a nest with 3 eggs
bank swallows: a colony
turkey vulture
rock wren
Say’s phoebe
Cliff swallow colony near Gordon
indigo bunting
red-tailed hawk, carrying a snake
Bartramian sandpiper
blue grosbeak (near Simeon)
wn vesper sparrow		—13 spp.

June 4

Warm and sunny. We followed first the north shore of Hackberry, where I took photographs
of a young sharp-tailed grouse. — Then we collected plankton with the Birge net, in
a pond north of the lake. Afterward, we cut across to

Watt’s Lake
killdeer		pied-billed grebe
black tern		yellow-headed blackbird
prairie horned lark		red-winged blackbird
spoonbill		gadwall
blue-winged teal		coot
mallard		—11 spp.

Nests found:
	pied-bill grebe — 414
	coot — 8
	killdeer — 2 0

June 5
A lovely day, after our hectic weather.
At Dewey Lake:
	ringed-billled gull
At Willow Lake:
	We watched a red-breaster merganser flutter across it.

At Marsh Lake:
black tern		Forster’s tern
red-winged blackbird		yellow-headed blackbird
yellowthroat		coot
black-crowned night heron		mallard
pintail		Am. bittern
long-billed marsh wren		green-winged teal
Wilson’s phalarope		long-tailed chat
killdeer		prairie chicken
redhead		—19 spp.

June 5 – continued

Nests examined:
red-winged blackbird — 4 4 1 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 0 4 ygs bds
Virginia rail — 5 8
coot — 10 7 10 13 9 7 8 8
Forster’s terns nesting; nests not examined	with i (sic) egg
blue-winged teal6; took photograph. Also found nest with young; and one
pied-billed grebe — 4 5
long-billed marsh wren — 6 2
yellow-headed blackbird
black-crowned night heron; not examined
Am. bittern — 2

Species to be added for June 5
	ruddy duck
	marbled godwit
	black-crowned night heron
	gadwall
	spoonbill
	—making total for Marsh Lake for this date,
	24 instead of 19
Also various undetermined sandpipers were seen.

June 6
At Little Alkali Lake:
	horned grebe
	several unidentified ducks
We were interested in the red crustaceans, almost microscopic,
found there.
At Whitewater Lake:
Observations made, but data missing

June 7
Spent the morning at Watt’s Lake; data missing.

In the afternoon we examined the area north of Clear lake. We were very much interested
in teh peculiar attitudes assumed by hog-nosed snakes when disturbed. — Examined many
of the small land tortoises common here. —

long-billed marsh wren		coot
black tern		black-crowned night heron
Forster’s tern		red-winged blackbird
yellow-headed blackbird		—7 spp.

June 8

In the morning to Dewey Lake
wn meadowlark		Forster’s tern
mallard		pied-billed grebe
bobolink		Wilson’s phalarope
yellow-headed blackbird		Bertramian sandpiper
red-winged blackbird		blue-winged teal
lark bunting		killdeer
Arkansas kingbird		—13 ¹⁴ spp.
	—completed nest of wn vesper sparrow, no eggs.

In the afternoon

At Little Alkali:
prairie horned lark		prairie chicken
Wilson’s phalarope		bluebill
green-winged teal		grasshopper sparrow
barn swallow		blue-winged teal
Sennett’s nighthawk		wn meadowlark
yellow-headed blackbird		lark bunting
red-winged blackbird		widgeon
sparrow hawk
	—15 spp.

kangaroo mice seen as we disturbed pile of dead tules.

At Dad’s Lake
red-winged blackbird		Wilson’s phalarope
wn meadowlark		mallard
yellow-heded blackbird		killdeer
bluebill		black-crowned night heron
prairie horned lark		blue-winged teal
grasshopper sparrow

In sandhills south of Dad’s Lake:
wn meadowlark	grasshopper sparrow
wn vesper sparrow	prairie chicken	—15 spp.

salamanders — “alkali dogs” — common in shallows of alkaline water at Dad’s Lake

June 9

North of Thedford: list of birds missing, except two first observed here:

Swainson’s hawk

rough-legged hawk

—2 spp.

Found a nest of sharp-tailed grouse with 6 eggs; set evidently not completed

June 10
In Thedford area:
kingfisher		wn meadowlark
yellow-headed blackbird		yellowthroat
dove		prairie horned lark
wn lark sparrow		bell’s vireo
long-tailed chat		killdeer
dickcissel		goldfinch
bronzed grackle		bank swallow
red-winged blackbird		cowbird
coot		bluejay
bobwhite		—19 spp.

As viewed from the railroad, the sandhills seem to end at about Merna.